Armistice Day is on 11th November and is also known as Remembrance Day. This day marks the day that World War One ended, at 11am on the 11th day of the 11th month back in 1918. That’s right 2018 marks 100 years since World War One ended.

This year both Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday fell on the same day. There are usually ceremonies at war memorials, cenotaphs and churches throughout the country and also abroad.

This year well known film-maker Danny Boyle invited the public to join him in marking 100 years since Armistice and the end of the First World War. Here he is explaining what his project was all about.

The uniquely poignant project took place on 32 beaches around the country. You can find out more about the individual locations by clicking here.

We travelled down to Weymouth as part of the official media team covering the event to capture aerial imagery of the beach activities. We soon found Weymouth is super photogenic!

Upon arrival we ran through our flight plans, risk assessments and method statements. We had a crew of three for the day and also hired in a waterproof drone as a back up. The production team we were working close with were superb and we thoroughly enjoyed the day.

It was evident that all the locals were really excited about the event with the beaches and surrounding areas getting busier by the minute the atmosphere was warm despite the looming rain clouds.

The minute silence began and ended with canons firing and shortly after a parade marched down the sea front towards the beach where music, poets, speakers and of course the beach raking took place.

Due to copyright laws we cannot post any footage we captured of the event but can share with you video that have since been produced by the production team and a couple of photo’s we were sent.

The portrait that was revealed on Weymouth Beach was of Stenley Robert Mc Dougall. He lived until the the age of 78 and passed away on the 7th July 1968. Sadly not uncommon he enlisted at the age of 15.

Sergeant Stanley Robert McDougall V.C. (23 July 1890 –07 July 1968)

Stanley McDougall was born in Tasmania to Susannah and John McDougall. He became a blacksmith, but enlisted in August 1915, joining the 47thInfantry Battalion, Australian Imperial Force. Sent to the western front, he fought at Pozières, Messines and Broodseinde. In March 1918 at Dernancourt, Sergeant McDougall repulsed a German attack that had breached the allied lines. Single-handed, he charged the enemy’s second wave withrifle and bayonet, killing seven and capturing a machine-gun that he turned on the rest, causing more casualties and routing the advance.

Then he fired on those that had already reached the allied trenches, until his ammunition ran out, when he seized a bayonet and killed three more men and an enemy officer. He then used a Lewis gun on the enemy, killing others and enabling his comrades to capture 33 prisoners.

Eight days later, at the same place, this non-commissioned officer won the Military Medal for taking over his platoon when its commander was killed. After the war became an officer with the Tasmanian Forestry Department, later performing outstanding work fighting bushfires as inspector-in-charge of forests in north-east Tasmania. He died at Scottsdale in 1968.

Wow… what a true hero now washed away by pages of the sea never to be forgotten and always to be remembered. We’re looking forward to the full movie production we understand is likely to be produced and will keep you updated with any news on this.

Make Art Not War

Whilst we were up in the air we captured a lovely kataskopos image of Stone Pier just off Nothe Fort

An interesting fact for you - Weymouth actually featured in the movie Dunkirk. It’s certainly a film we enjoyed watching and if you haven’t seen it already do check it out.